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The Butterfly Garden (The Collector #1)

by Dot Hutchison (Goodreads Author)

4.07 · Rating Details · 41,843 Ratings · 4,035 Reviews

Near an isolated mansion lies a beautiful garden.

In this garden grow luscious flowers, shady trees…and a collection of precious “butterflies”—young women who have been kidnapped and intricately tattooed to resemble their namesakes. Overseeing it all is the Gardener, a brutal, twisted man obsessed with capturing and preserving his lovely specimens.

When the garden is discove ...more

Kindle Edition, 288 pages

Published June 1st 2016 by Thomas & Mercer (first published April 26th 2016)

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Community Reviews

(showing 1-30)

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Jun 23, 2016 Emily May rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-thriller-horror, 2016

At night the Garden was a place of shadows and moonlight, where you could more clearly hear all the illusions that went into making it what it was.

The Butterfly Garden was a book I knew nothing about. I haven't been highly anticipating it for months and it only made it on to my "to read" shelf a few days ago. But it popped up in my GR feed and everything about it called to me. It exuded a dark creepiness that drew me in. It promised a story of beauty and horror. And my instincts were right - ...more

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Jan 31, 2017 Chelsea Humphrey rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley

I feel confident stating that this book will not be for everyone; I even feel fairly confident that this book won’t be for most people. It is dark, graphic, twisted, and touches on almost every taboo subject I can think of. Not since I read Karin Slaughter’s Pretty Girls last year has a book disturbed me so completely.So why in the world would anyone want to read this book might you ask? This was the most uniquely crafted story I think I have ever read. Honestly, if I had based my review on the I feel confident stating that this book will not be for everyone; I even feel fairly confident that this book won’t be for most people. It is dark, graphic, twisted, and touches on almost every taboo subject I can think of. Not since I read Karin Slaughter’s Pretty Girls last year has a book disturbed me so completely.So why in the world would anyone want to read this book might you ask? This was the most uniquely crafted story I think I have ever read. Honestly, if I had based my review on the first 25% of the book it would have been a 5 STAR read for me, no brainer. It completely sucked me in and gripped me; as much as I wanted to put this book down at times, I just couldn’t. I would recommend taking a long, hard look at how sensitive a human being you are before picking this one up, but if this type of dark book is your read, I think you’ll be highly impressed.

“They had gone unto wars, trusting to the mild-eyed stars, nightly, from their azure towers, to keep watch above the flowers’…”
– “The Valley of Unrest” by Edgar Allan Poe

Like I stated earlier, the format in which this book is told is one of it’s strongest attributes. Here we have a former captive and victim of The Butterfly Garden in the care of the FBI. We know that somehow The Garden has been raided and emptied; some of the “butterflies” are dead and some are recovering in the hospital. What we don’t know is how our characters were brought to that point, which is told in three separate acts. There are breaks that allow for the jumping back and forth in time; at times we are in the present while “Maya” is talking with the agents in charge and there are also times where she has gone back to memories that she is relaying to bring us up to speed on what these poor girls have gone through. The time jumps and POV changes were not difficult to follow at all and only added intrigue into the story; many times in a strange, twisted way it left me craving more.

“Yet if hope has flown away in a night, or in a day, or in none, is it therefore the less gone? All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream.”
– “A Dream Within a Dream” by Edgar Allan Poe

I feel Like I could write a 10 page review on this book, but it would be too spoilery and ruin everything for the reader. This is one of those books (gosh, do I only read books like this? I feel like I have this sentence somewhere in every review!) that you don’t want to know all the twists and dark surprises ahead of time; a good bit of the books appeal is in the grotesque shock. Part of the reason I didn’t give this a full 5 stars was due to the fact that I felt the first 25% of the book was punch after punch of nasty, scary, twisted, disturbing revelation about The Garden, and after that it just sort of tapered off. Sure, it held my attention throughout the entire book, but it felt to me as though it would have been more effective to have spaced out some of that terrifying content in a more even pace. There was an extremely disturbing account nearing the end involving a child which is a major trigger for lots of people, so there’s your fair warning.

I definitely felt the author did a fine job of developing her characters; I felt apprehensive once I’d finished the book because I was worried about leaving these characters behind, almost like they wouldn’t be ok on their own without my watching over them to recover from The Garden, which I think is remarkable for a book under 300 pages. It felt so odd to be reading a book about abuse, kidnapping, and murder where I felt so disgusted but also intrigued by the bond these girls had with each other and how, while horribly wronged in most ways, these girls seemed treated as princesses in others. It really made me sit back and think about how many similar scenarios there have been in real life kidnapping/abuse cases.

The other reason that I didn’t give this 5 STARS was the ending. Dear God, you gave me this whole fantastic book and ended it like that? I completely respect that the author was trying to whip out an unexpected twist at the end, but it just didn’t make sense. I kept scratching my head at her explanation of some things and it was like drinking a fine, expensive wine with a burger from McDonald’s. What. The. Heck. Other than that, this book was severely addicting and definitely more shocking than most I’ve read, which really says a lot because I read a lot of twisted crap. If you feel you can stomach it, this book is definitely recommended! I’m interested to see where this author goes with her next story.

* I received my copy via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. ...more

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Aug 12, 2016 Lola Reviewer rated it it was ok

Shelves: mystery, adult, originality, 2016-publications

Hallelujah! I’m done! I’m done!

I finally finished reading this book. Finally.

I thought it would never ever ever end.

First things first. The author does create an original story with a one-of-a-kind world-building and type of narration.

I’ll let that sink in, because it’s true and not to be overlooked.

AND. The beginning and ending are extremely thrilling. This author sure knows how to wrap up a story. I was especially happy to have all of my questions (or so) answered. We still don’t know what w ...more

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Jun 23, 2016 Leah Bayer rated it did not like it

Shelves: reading-regrets, idiot-heroine

This is the stupidest goddamn book. If you can suspend every inch of disbelief in your body and go into The Butterfly Garden accepting that it's in some kind of alternate fantasy world where women lack free will of any kind then maybe it's an okay book. Let's take a brief quiz to see how you'd do!

You wake up in a garden prison constructed by a madman who kidnapped you and is going to kill you on your 21st birthday. Do you (a) try to escape or (b) passively accept your fate and go make ~best frie ...more

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Aug 12, 2016 Shelby *trains flying monkeys* rated it liked it

Shelves: netgalley, serial-killer-dude, read-2016, dark-as-night

Suppose you woke up and wasn't at home? You are in a very strange new place. You are disoriented from being drugged and then a girl with a huge butterfly tattoo on her back tells you that this is your new home. A garden that is overseen by The Gardener. The Gardener has chosen you to be one of his "Butterflies."
Before we go farther let's discuss what exactly that means. The Gardener is a sick, sick man. He captures women and brings them to this garden so that he has his own little weird harem. H ...more

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Jan 07, 2017 Candace rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: kidnapped, dom-sub-bdsm, shocking-twists, listened-to-audio-version, dark-themes, rich-guys, wtf-did-i-just-read, kindle-unlimited

Check out more of my reviews at www.bookaddicthaven.com

Whew! This was one of the creepiest stories that I've read in a long time. It was just so damn sick that I can't wrap my mind around it. This one was disturbing and bizarre, but I loved it!

This story is told from the POV of Maya, a young woman that has just been rescued from a serial killer, and the FBI agents that are interrogating her. Maya refuses to be rushed as she recounts her tale, to the utter frustration of the agents. The story alt ...more

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Jul 10, 2016 Alienor ✘ French Frowner ✘ (of badger and SNAKE) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommended to Alienor ✘ French Frowner ✘ (of badger and SNAKE) by: Emily May

Shelves: mystery-thriller-horror, dark, abuse, 2016-reads, i-love-2016, trigger-warning

For more than a year now I've been making little pictures for my reviews, and this is the first time it doesn't feel right, especially if using a butterfly. Thinking about letting my mind wander around that particular insect makes me sick, if I'm completely honest. I'd rather not express my thoughts that way because it would feel a little like corrupting myself.

Those who read The Butterfly Garden know.

The only art I can think of is a huge, covering splash of black paint, for some reason. I'm s ...more

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Sep 07, 2016 Laura rated it liked it

Shelves: 2016, crime-mystery-thriller, horror

I found myself engrossed by the writing and story in the beginning. I needed to know what happened to these girls called “butterflies.” I needed to know how they finally got away. I needed to know how they came to be in the garden. I’m a sucker for an excellent thriller. This one had the makings of one filled with originality and horror. The creepiness finds its way deep under your skin tearing through to your soul. Unfortunately it didn’t stay quite as exciting as I hoped through the middle and I found myself engrossed by the writing and story in the beginning. I needed to know what happened to these girls called “butterflies.” I needed to know how they finally got away. I needed to know how they came to be in the garden. I’m a sucker for an excellent thriller. This one had the makings of one filled with originality and horror. The creepiness finds its way deep under your skin tearing through to your soul. Unfortunately it didn’t stay quite as exciting as I hoped through the middle and had the most disappointing ending I’ve read in some time. That shouldn’t take away from the author’s ability to craft an original idea that immediately captivates....until it just doesn't anymore.

The story starts with the FBI trying to piece together what happened in what is know as the Garden to the girls knows as “butterflies.” They were held captive by a man they called the Gardener. Sick and twisted things were done to these girls including permanently marking them with giant wings. I don’t want to give away all the details, but there is rape and a psycho son. The Butterfly Garden is a disturbing display of love for the Gardener.

We alternate between present day with the perspective of an FBI agent as the FBI attempts interviewing Maya and Maya’s perspective as she tells her story to the agents. I really enjoyed this format. It helped to add suspense, intrigue, and kept just enough mystery until each twist was revealed. It allowed me to question Maya as a narrator, never quite knowing whether to believe every word she was saying.

The problem is I didn’t exactly care about everything Maya had to say. Sometimes she went on these tangents about the most random things or people and I just couldn’t bring myself to care. She wasn’t saying anything substantial. In a way I get how this is where a lot of the excellent characterization came from, but honestly I just wanted her to shut up. I was bored and in need of Maya moving the f on. Oh..but the ending is what bothered me more than anything. I thought it lacked the explosiveness a story like this deserved. The twist that is supposed to shock and awe only had me thinking how much it made zero sense.

The Butterfly Garden hits on stockholm syndrome in a way I’ve never seen before. It wasn’t exactly enough.. ...more

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Aug 11, 2016 Kainat Ijaz 《UNPOPULAR OPINION ALERT》 rated it really liked it

"But my wings couldn’t move

and I couldn’t fly, I couldn’t even cry.

All that was left to me was the terror

and the agony and the sorrow."

Wow! this was like totally fucked up!
HOLD UP A SECOND!
THIS IS... THIS IS YA?!?
I'M DONE.
I NEED SOMETHING FUNNY AND CUTE NOW!!

Not very long ago Captive in the Dark was the craziest book i knew of. I couldn't even imagine any other book being able to beat the creepiness of that story. Then came You, and Joe just blew my mind. But these two books are rainbows ...more

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Jan 31, 2017 Maxine (Booklover Catlady) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: maxine-favourites, could-not-put-down, crime-books-read, net-galley-reviewed, creepy-books, serial-killer-at-work, dysfunctional-people, abuse-themes, 2016-reading-challenge, 2016-five-star-books, disturbing-moments, longlist-top-reads-2016, top-ten-books-2016

The Gardener likes to collect butterflies for his collection...

This book left me speechless! One of my favourite reads of 2016 so far and a book I will never ever forget reading. The synopsis just sucked me in and from reading the very first paragraph I knew my choice to delve into this novel was a good one. Time just flew by and I lost track of my life as I read this exceptional novel. This one got me on so many levels. I can't rave enough.

Let's have a taste of what pulled me in:

Near an isolate ...more

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May 04, 2016 Kayla Overbey rated it really liked it

Due to a VERY slow day at work, I started and finished this book in one day! It was captivating, brilliant, and nauseating. I loved the writing, and the story felt so original. Kudos to the author.

Why did I knock off a star? One big reason:
I didn't like the ending. It all seemed too wrapped up, and the "surprise" just felt unnecessary. It didn't add anything for me other than a confused, "seriously?" feeling. After everything, THAT was the secret she'd been holding back from the police? Eh, not ...more

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Dec 03, 2016 Sandy *The world could end while I was reading and I would never notice* rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, netgalley-arc, 5-star, 2016, author-i-want-to-read-more-of

Once or twice a year, if I am lucky, a get to read a book that really touches some inner part of me. The Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchison is such a book.

I had not heard of Dot Hutchison before picking up The Butterfly Garden. Now I want to read every word she has ever written, and every word she is going to write in the future. Once I started reading, I could not put it down.

Despite the beautiful title, the subject matter is quite dark, horrific in places. And yet Hutchison writes with an ironi ...more

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Jun 19, 2016 Nenia Campbell rated it it was amazing

Shelves: netgalley, dark-and-twisted, thriller, nenia-recommends

Instagram || Twitter || Facebook || Amazon || Pinterest

Huge thank yous to the author and publisher for putting this book up on Netgalley. It's probably one of the best books I've received for review from that site this year. I'm rather desperate to get my hands on A WOUNDED NAME now. Authors who excel at doom and gloom are so few and far between

But Hutchison does. Oh, boy, she does.

I would be very surprised if Hutchison never read John Fowles's THE COLLECTOR - the parallels are numerous. Both ...more

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Jul 29, 2016 Destini Mia~ ♕ Sassy Lassie rated it really liked it

Shelves: hello-darkness

"Where are we?"
"The Garden."

This book fucked me up. Take a look at me anytime while I was reading The Butterfly Garden and you'd find me like this: with a hand over my gaping mouth, eyes bugging out, and a greenish tint to my face. I'm still here like, what the shit did I just read?

Well let me tell you what I just read. A dark, twisted story about girls savaged by a delusional captor who *trigger warning* stamps, rapes, and then kills them (not spoilers). It's sad, it's sickening, and it's utterly... captivating? Fascinating? Engrossing? Despite the horrors that occur, and there's no shortage of them, I couldn't tear my eyes away.

The author does an amazing job at storytelling. Not much was sugar-coated and you won't find beautiful, flowery writing here. Instead, you'll find a brutally honest account of the atrocities suffered my these girls. It's still a story, though, and the author knows how to hook you. The narrator is one you can respect. She's resilient and straightforward, a no-bullshit kind of person and yet still one that inspires sympathy and awe. She's real and that's more than I could ask for.

But my wings couldn't move and I couldn't fly, and I couldn't even cry.
All that was left to me was the terror and the agony and the sorrow.

It begins right in the center. You don't know anything that happened before the main narrator finds herself at the police station and you don't know anything that'll go on after. You're just left plunge in and try to fit all the puzzle pieces best you can. Down the the last page, quite literally, the surprises don't end.

I'm not sure if this is a story for everyone, and it's not one I would say was pleasurable to read exactly, but if you like dark tales that'll give you high blood pressure, then you've met your match. Highly addictive and intensely raw, it's a tale I won't be sure to forget anytime soon.

I thought how fucking unfair it was that he made us butterflies, of all things.
Real butterflies could fly away, out of reach.
The Gardener's Butterflies could only ever fall, and that but rarely.
...more

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Oct 04, 2016 Kelly (and the Book Boar) rated it liked it

Shelves: liburrrrrry-book, nutters, stabby-stabby, read-in-2016, daddy-issues

Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/

I actually heard about The Butterfly Garden from one of my real life friends (I know I know shocking to hear I have friends, but have no fear there’s only like three of them). Per usual I was late for the party and ended up FIFTY-SECOND on the waiting list. Thank Jeebus I don’t age in dog years! Fastforward six months and I finally got it.

The story is about a woman named Maya, a survivor that has been pulled out of a place known to her ...more

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May 27, 2016 Melissa ♥ Dog Lover ♥ Martin rated it it was amazing

Shelves: own, kindle-first

This book was my kindle first May pick and it's very disturbing. *TRIGGER WARNING: RAPE*

--->EXCERPT<---

In terror she spoke, letting sink her wings till they trialed in the dust--in agony sobbed, letting sink her plumes till they trailed in the dust--till they sorrowfully trailed in the dust.

But my wings couldn't move and I couldn't fly, and I couldn't even cry.
All that was left to me was the terror and the agony and the sorrow.

This story is about an evil man only known as the Gardener. He ...more

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Jul 30, 2016 Stephanie rated it really liked it

Shelves: finished-2016, 2016-pub, mystery-thriller, netgalley, grcac-2017

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 4 star thriller. Unique, twisted story of a mass kidnapper / rapist / serial killer. Not for everyone!

I was intrigued by the title, The Butterfly Garden -- and all of the buzz that I saw around this book from some of my Goodreads friends. I noticed that the ratings were a bit dispersed -- with some readers awarding 4/5 stars (many of my friends) and others 1/2 stars.

I am so glad that I picked up this book because I found it to be a creepy, disturbing, and interesting read. The premise of the 4 star thriller. Unique, twisted story of a mass kidnapper / rapist / serial killer. Not for everyone!

I was intrigued by the title, The Butterfly Garden -- and all of the buzz that I saw around this book from some of my Goodreads friends. I noticed that the ratings were a bit dispersed -- with some readers awarding 4/5 stars (many of my friends) and others 1/2 stars.

I am so glad that I picked up this book because I found it to be a creepy, disturbing, and interesting read. The premise of the story is quite different and the crime in itself horrific. The book is told from the perspective of one of the victims as she is being interviewed by the FBI. The story switches back and forth from prior events to the current day discussion. The characters were interesting. I would have liked to have had more of a sense of what was driving the killer / rapist. Also, the ending was a bit too weird and tidily wrapped up -- had to suspend my disbelief.

--------------------------------------------
Not Really Spoilers, but Don't Read if You Don't Read the Blurbs!!
A man known as "The Gardener" kidnaps young girls between the ages of 16-18 and brings them to his private "Butterfly Garden" - where their backs are tattooed with butterfly wings and they are subject to repeated rape and beatings by either the Gardener or his psychopathic son, Avery. There are generally about 20 girls living in this locked-away garden and they band together. Those girls who can't quickly adapt are killed. Also, when a girl turns 21, she is killed and her body preserved in the garden.

---------------------------------------------
Favorite Quote:
"Some people stay broken. Some pick up the pieces and put them back together with all the sharp edges showing.”

I recommend this book to readers of thrillers who are open to reading rough and gritty content, including rape and captivity scenes. As mentioned above, this book is NOT for everyone. I found it a compelling read with an interesting plot and would definitely read further works by Dot Hutchison .

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing in ARC for an unbiased review! ...more

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Dec 10, 2016 Brenda rated it it was amazing

Recommended to Brenda by: Sandy *The world could end while I was reading and I would never notice*

This book had me absolutely mesmerized! Right from the first chapter all the way to the end, I was held captive. The Garden sounded absolutely idyllic except for its purpose. Everything sounded beautiful except for The Gardener.

I really don't want to touch on the plot or the characters. Go into this book ignorant. Don't even read the blurb. Let it seep under your skin, into your heart, and into your mind. I loved the characters, especially the strong main character Maya and the patient Special A ...more

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Jan 05, 2017 Councillor rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: crime-mystery-thriller, reviewed, ebook, horror, rated-3-and-a-half-stars, first-person-narrator, releases-of-2016, read-in-one-sitting, rape-and-abuse, read-2017, serial-killers, would-deserve-a-decent-adaptation

"What choices are you making, Desmond?"
"I don't think I'm making any choices right now."
"Then you're automatically making the wrong ones. [...] Not making a choice is a choice. Neutrality is a concept, not a fact. No one actually gets to live their lives that way."

Imagine the following scenario: You are living your normal life; as complicated and difficult as it may be, at least you are living your life in freedom. Until one day everything changes for you; someone kidnaps you; and you wake up ...more

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Jun 03, 2016 Fabi rated it it was ok

The Butterfly Garden is a chillingly brilliant concept. Major kudos to the author. But...

Where is an editor when you need one?!

On the surface, this is a gripping tale of survival. I understand why so many people are finding it riveting. But it didn't work for me. I realize this will be a wildly unpopular review but I'm going to try to spell out the reasons why I found it impossible to immerse myself in the story.

First of all, I don't usually read psych-thrillers. I'm more comfortable with tech-t ...more

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Jun 17, 2016 Sue rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction, suspense-thriller-mystery, net-galley, kindle-paperwhite

THE BUTTERFLY GARDEN by Dot Hutchison is a compelling read that deals with rape, captivity but an overall tale of strength and survival…in the hands of an EVIL man known as the Gardener.

The imagery is vivid and enables you to sense the atmosphere of the beautiful garden and butterflies. But the Gardener is evil and takes teenage girls, until they reach the ripe age of twenty-one when he can preserve them …if they last that long!

The Gardener tattoo's Different butterfly wings on their back and THE BUTTERFLY GARDEN by Dot Hutchison is a compelling read that deals with rape, captivity but an overall tale of strength and survival…in the hands of an EVIL man known as the Gardener.

The imagery is vivid and enables you to sense the atmosphere of the beautiful garden and butterflies. But the Gardener is evil and takes teenage girls, until they reach the ripe age of twenty-one when he can preserve them …if they last that long!

The Gardener tattoo's Different butterfly wings on their back and makes them wear dresses without the back so he see the wings. He rapes them …they are his prisoners.

"Near an isolated mansion lies a beautiful garden.

In this garden grow luscious flowers, shady trees…and a collection of precious “butterflies”—young women who have been kidnapped and intricately tattooed to resemble their namesakes. Overseeing it all is the Gardener, a brutal, twisted man obsessed with capturing and preserving his lovely specimens.

When the garden is discovered, a survivor is brought in for questioning. FBI agents Victor Hanoverian and Brandon Eddison are tasked with piecing together one of the most stomach-churning cases of their careers. But the girl, known only as Maya, proves to be a puzzle herself.

As her story twists and turns, slowly shedding light on life in the Butterfly Garden, Maya reveals old grudges, new saviors, and horrific tales of a man who’d go to any length to hold beauty captive. But the more she shares, the more the agents have to wonder what she’s still hiding... "

FBI agents Victor Hanoverian and Brandon Eddison lead an investigation after the butterfly garden is discovered and some of the victims rescued alive. The two detectives are interviewing Maya, the leader, to try piece together what has happened. But Maya doesn’t want to talk and when she does, she speaks with clever response. A large part of the novel is set in the interview room, with the FBI agents firing questions at Maya. What is she hiding? Just answer the questions!

This was a terrifying story of a twisted mind and his obsession with collecting butterflies. A fast read…and so different from what I expected. I found the ending slightly rushed and would have liked a different ending.

Many thanks to Dot Hutchison, Thomas & Mercer, and Net Galley, for an advanced review copy of this novel in exchange for an unbiased review.
...more

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Aug 22, 2016 Jan rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 5-stars, netgalley, recommended, suspense

Could not put this down!!
I became obsessed with the plight of these 'Butterflies' and the twisted, psychopathic monster they called The Gardener.
I just saw that the rights for movie development were purchased-hell yes! This would make one heck of a box offer thriller.
More review to come....

So, now that I've had a couple of days to percolate on this book, my rating stands. I found myself thinking about this story more than once over the weekend which says a lot....

Some things I do need to point Could not put this down!!
I became obsessed with the plight of these 'Butterflies' and the twisted, psychopathic monster they called The Gardener.
I just saw that the rights for movie development were purchased-hell yes! This would make one heck of a box offer thriller.
More review to come....

So, now that I've had a couple of days to percolate on this book, my rating stands. I found myself thinking about this story more than once over the weekend which says a lot....

Some things I do need to point out for those of you yet to read this great tale--while I obviously loved it, it wasn't without it's faults. But as often happens with well written stories, I have a forgiving heart for most things. For example:

-You really need to leave your expectations of reality at the door. There is no way that this 'Garden' could have ever existed for as long as it did without being discovered. But the outside world really wasn't a focal point at all here, which made it work. The true star of this book was the internal Garden itself, which was it's own little world.
-I am not a fan of one element of the ending. (view spoiler) I just found it to be completely unnecessary and distracting. (but still not enough to change my rating!!)
-While thinking about this book over the weekend, I found myself wondering more and more about The Gardener himself...I now wish there had been a bit more backstory devoted to him at the end of the book, helping me to understand more of what made him tick. His ability to kidnap, rape, and kill these women yet in his mind be doing it all in the name of love was so well written and intriguing, but I want to know more of how he came to be. (Hint Hint Dot, if you are reading this---Possible prequel?!!)

Even with these 'faults', I still rank this as one of my top 10 reads for this year, possibly even top 5.
I truly hope a movie is made of this-I would be first in line to see!!

My thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
...more

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Sep 03, 2016 'Cila rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

"Some people stay broken. Some pick up the pieces and put them back together with all the sharp edges showing."

I had heard fantastic things about this book, so when I passed by it in my local Barnes and Noble I couldn’t but help picking it up; as I was checking out the cashier smiles and informs me that the author is in the store, initially I thought I had heard her wrong, but she then proceeds to pick up the speaker and ask *Dot Hutchison* to please come to the front desk. What an awesome sur ...more

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Jun 22, 2016 Petra rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: thrillers, audible, 2016-audio-book-challenge

I think almost everybody I know who has read this rated it 4 or 5 stars, so take my personal ramblings with a pinch of salt. It's no big secret that I generally struggle with books that require you to suspend disbelief, and this required an enormous amount of that. The final nail in the coffin was the totally ridiculous twist at the end. It was all so implausible.
To me, a lot of this was like reading a young adult fantasy story. There are girls being held captive for years and raped regularly. T ...more

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May 22, 2016 Amber rated it liked it

Entertaining read until the end... the ending was ridiculous.

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Aug 18, 2016 Angel Erin rated it it was amazing

Shelves: wishlist

http://angelerin.blogspot.com/2016/08...

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing a free ebook copy of The Butterfly Garden By: Dot Hutchison in exchange for an honest review.

I devoured The Butterfly Garden in one sitting. I was captivated as soon as I started. This book is so damn dark, intense, and twisted! I LOVED it. Some of the plot did seem a bit far fetched, but it didn't bother me at all. Even though some things are unrealistic there are just as many things that are v ...more

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Jun 27, 2016 Sara rated it it was ok

Shelves: depression, eh, dark

It probably goes without saying that the very worst thing a thriller can be is boring. The Butterfly Garden should have been anything but boring if the summary was anything to go by. Law enforcement has just come upon a blazing inferno that is destroying what is left of "The Garden." A collection of beautiful women some dead, some clinging to life, have emerged from the fire to reveal they've been kept in captivity for years used and abused by a man who they call "the gardener." Now they're face ...more

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Jul 19, 2016 Scarlet rated it liked it

Shelves: off-the-beaten-track, addictive-stuff, psycho-freaks, disturbia, cover-love, 2016-releases, 2016-challenge

I cannot say I enjoyed reading this book because The Butterfly Garden is not the kind of story that can be associated with any feeling of joy. It's a bleak and deeply unsettling story about a sexual predator who imprisons girls in his personal greenhouse garden and transforms them into "Butterflies". Yet, this was one of those books I simply could not stop reading. There is something disturbingly alluring about watching the horrors of the Garden unfold one insane layer at a time, and being privy ...more

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Aug 16, 2016 Linda Strong rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-in-2016, netgalley-2016

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Aug 13, 2016 Sofii♡ (A Book. A Thought.) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, arc

"I received an arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review"

“Some people stay broken. Some pick up the pieces and put them back together with all the sharp edges showing.”

description

This is an amazing book, I'm pleased to have decided to go for it,. it is one of the most intense readings I've had this year
This, I believe, is my first adult book and it was excellent to start.

Synopsis

"Near an isolated mansion lies a beautiful garden.

In this garden grow luscious flowers, shady trees…and a collectio ...more

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About Dot Hutchison

I'm a (mostly) YA writer with a background in theatre, Renaissance Festival living chessboards, and freefalls. I can lose hours at a time Wiki-surfing interesting articles that may or may not have anything to do with my research, and I like to think that St. George regretted killing that dragon for all the rest of his days. A WOUNDED NAME came out in 2013 from Carolrhoda Lab; THE BUTTERFLY GARDEN ...more

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“Some people stay broken. Some pick up the pieces and put them back together with all the sharp edges showing.” — 69 likes

“What choice are you making, Desmond?”
“I don’t think I’m making any choice right now.”
“Then you’re automatically making the wrong ones.” He straightened, mouth open to protest, but I held up my hand. “Not making a choice is a choice. Neutrality is a concept, not a fact. No one actually gets to live their lives that way.” — 13 likes

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